Comb



Nov. 21, 1939. F. R. MARCEL' Filed Oct. 27, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet l .NOV. 21, 1939. F. R. MARCEL 2,180,834

COMB

` Filed Oct. 27, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

kPatented Nov.. 21, 1939 00MB Franois Ren Marcel, Brooklyn, N. Y. v Application october 27, 1937, serial No. 171,222

7 Claims.

This invention relates to the treatment of hair and more particularly to novel devices for cleansing, protecting and improving the condition of hair on the human head.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafterand in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means kof the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a hair-treating comb embodying a preferred form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a razor illustrating a modified embodiment of the invention;

Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are sections taken on'Fig. l as indicated by the respective section lines;

Fig. 7 is a rear plan ofthe device shown in Fig. l with a razor attachment thereon;

Fig. 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective of the razor guard shown` in Figs. 7 and 8. f

As to the subject matter .of'Fig 2, disclosed but not claimed in my copending application Ser. No. 9,535, filed March 6, 1935, thisapplication is a continuation in part.

One object of the invention is to provide for removing foreign matter from the surfaces of individual hairs on the human head. It has been found that the hair surfaces become incrusted with dirt, oil, grease, soapv and other foreign matter which ultimately forms a relatively hard casing about the hair shaft and in and around the microscopic scales which make up the outer covering of the hair. Furthermore this surface coating of the hair forms a lodging for many different types of. microbes land bacteria which ultimately enter into the interior structure of the hair, causing it'to split or be harmed or destroyed. Also the bacteria which thus gain access to the interior of the hair may thence pass into the scalp and body of the person so affected.

Ordinary shampooing or treatment of the hair with the usual solvents and tonics has been found ineffective to remove the foreign matter and bacteria which become intimately coated and l hardened on the hair as described.

The present invention provides a mode of dis-' lodging and removing such foreign matter including microbe and bacteria growths, in a very simple and effective manner, and without harm.-

' ing 4the hair or the individual in any Way. The

removal of such matter not only cleanses and purifies the hair but it greatly improves the health and luster of the individual hairs and ofv the head of hair as a whole. Hair which before treatment was stiff, dull and lifeless becomes conditioned for further treatments. For example the ability of hair to acquire a permanent wave is frequently greatly improved by previous treatment in accordance with the invention.

In essence, the invention comprises subjecting individual hairs, preferably a large number simultaneously, to a surface scraping action starting near the, scalp and Working outward toward the ends. This surface scraping is preferably performed by an edged instrument which will quickly and thoroughly dislodge and largely remove the surface coating of foreign matter on the hair. The scraping action may be performed upon the hair when .dry or the hair may be rst wetted'or softened by the application of a suitable lotion or other softening and/orv solvent agent. In more extended application of the treatment the hair may be scrapedboth with and vsofter and more alive to the eye and touch. vFurthermore the hair is frequently improved and Another object of the invention is lto provide f novel and useful means for carryingout the hair treatment above described. I have found that the scraping of the hair surfaces may be effectively and rapidly performed by drawing vindividual hairsgbetween the opposed edges of sharpened scraping toolssimilar to knife or razor edges and my invention comprisesproviding in simple mechanical form a device by which this scraping action may be performed simultaneously and successively upon a great many hairs so that the entire head of hair of an individual may be quickly` and effectively treated.

Other objects of the invention comprise providing a hair cutting means which may optionally be used in combination with the scraping and cleansing action of the invention.

, It will be understood that the `foregoing general description and the following detailed description as Well are exemplary and explanatory of the invention but are not restrictive thereof.

lReferring now in detail to the present preferrd embodimentv of the invention illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 shows a hair scraping device in the form of a comb. As shown the comb is formed of an integral piece of hard tool steel capable of taking and holding an edge similar to razor or knife steel although other substances capable of tal:-

ing a sharp edge, such as glass or metal alloys may be used. The piece of steel forming the comb is generally triangular in cross section, but having rounded edges as shown. The back I thereof is flat and substantially at righ angles to the top edge I I, while the plane of the front edge i2 forms susbtantially the hypothenuse of a right triangle with the sides iEI and I I. Approximately half of the piece of steel is reduced, rounded and tapered to form a convenient handle I3, while the remaining portion is constructed generally like a comb having teeth I5, the points of which lie along the narrow or lower edge I4 in the piece of steel. Each tooth I5 is bevelled in opposite directions downwardly from the surface I2 so as to forrnsharp cutting edges 2li along both sides of the tooth. Each 'tooth is also tapered longitudinally from a relatively narrow point to a somewhat wider base where it merges with the upper solid portion of the piece of steel. The bevelling between two adjacent teeth is carried back for a considerable distance into the piece of steel beyond the sharpened junction 2l between the tooth proper and the rear face I of the comb. Thus a tapered groove 22 of diminishing width and depth extends backwardly into the body of the comb from the sharpened edge 2 I The method of forming the bevelling and groove between two adjacent teeth is diagrammatically indicated in Fig. 3, the cutting tool being indicated by the circular member 23. Thus the space between two adjacent teeth forms a V-shaped notch, the bottom edges 2S of which are of razor sharpness, while the apex 2i of the V-groove is preferably no wider than a single average human hair and may be somewhat narrower.

The length of the V-shaped grooves between the teeth may be uniform throughout the comb or, as shown in Fig. l, the groovesmay be oi` two or more different lengths whereby to give a shingling effect on the hair when the comb is used as a hair cutting tool. For purposes of scraping and cleaning hairs, however, it has been found that a uniform length of groove between the teeth is entirely eiiective. The method of cutting the deeper grooves 22a by a somewhat larger cutting disc 2321l is indicated in Fig. 4.

In carrying out the treatment of hair in accordance with the use of the device, the grooved face I2 of the comb is laid against the individual scalp with the hat back Ill outward and the comb drawn along the scalp in the direction of the growth oi the hair, so that all the hairs on the head pass along the edges 2i! of the teeth and into the notches 2I. Thus there is a drawing and scraping action of the cutting edges 2i) and 2l on the individual hair and a great deal of foreign matter is removed and loosened from the surfaces of the hair as previously described. Dead hairs and split ends will also be removed by this operation. When the comb is first passed through untreated hair considerable resistance will be encountered due to the coated matter on the hairs, but after several applications of the comb it will be found that it passes through the cleaned hairs much more readily. The combing action should be repeated until the comb comes through the hair practically free of foreign matter.

After all the hair on the head has been subjected to a thorough scraping action, as described, a further cleansing action may be eifected by subjecting the hair to the softening and solvent action of a suitable tonic or lotion which will tend to dissolve and soften foreign matter which has been loosened by the dry scraping operation, but which still clings onto or about the hair. After application of such lotion, the scraping comb should be again drawn through the hair one or more times to remove the matter which has been acted upon by the lotion. A lotion which I have found suitable for this purpose is a solution containing a hair softening agent such as glycol, together with an alcohol miscible in oil as softener and solvent, together with a suitable germicide or antiseptic, but the invention is not limited to this particular'solution, as other known hair lotions and tonics containing suitable solvents and hair softening agents may be used.

Upon completion of the foregoing operations, the hair is preferably shampooed and then combed or subjected to any further hairdressing operation as may be desired,

ln Fig. 2 is shown a modified form of hair scraping and cutting device, orginally disclosed in my copending application Ser. No. 9,535 filed March 6, 1935. As shown, a razor blade 5I] is provided with teeth having cutting edges 5I, 52 and 53 of respectively shorter lengths. A suitable guard member ii may be provided below the razor blade itself, said guard member having projecting teeth with upturned fingers 5I to cover the ends of the long teeth 5I. Suitable means, Such as a frame member 52 of a common type, maybe provided for attaching the razor blade and guard frame to handle 63.

In operation, the hair-cutting razor described,

is adapted to cut hair of varying lengths, such as the three lengths shown, simply by moving the serrated blade through the hair. The hairs are not only cut of varying lengths at any particular line of cutting movement, but also the hairs may be individually tapered or cut on a bias due to the fact that they fall into the cutting notches and are thus cut on either side to a tapered point. While primarily designed for cutting or shingling hair, this construction also serves to scrape the surfaces of the hairs which are drawn between the sharpened edges of the blades and into the edged notches. Thus the scraping action may be combined with a cutting or shingling operation of the hair. Another form of means for combining a shingling or hair cutting action with the scraping comb mechanism shown in Fig. l is disclosed in Figs. '7, 8 and 9. As shown, a hair cutting razor blade Iii may be detachably mounted on the rear face ID of the comb, a retaining groove 1I being formed in the back of the comb for seating a blade-holding bracket l2. A suitable blade-holding guard 'i3 of resilient material such as spring steel is adapted to spring over the top edge of the comb and press together the comb and razor blade as shown in Figs. '7 and 8.

The invention in its `broader aspects is not limited to the specific mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advan tages.

What I claim is:

l. In a device vior treating hair the combinamum Width less than that of a human hair.

2. In a device for treating hair the combina-Y tion of a pair of beveled, sharpened edges converging to form a relatively deep V-shaped groove of a minimum Width less than that of a humanv hair.

3. A device for treating hair comprising a comb with teeth tapering in width from the back of the comb toward their ends, the edges of said teeth being sharpened to a cutting edge.

4. A device for treating hair comprising a comb with teeth tapering in Width from the back of the comb toward their ends, the edges of said teeth being sharpened to a, cutting edge and the space between said Aedge diminishing to form a groove no Wider than a human hair.

5. A device for treating hair comprising a comb with steelteeth tapering in Width from the back of the comb toward their ends, the edges ofsaid teeth being sharpened to a cutting edge.

6. A device for treating hair comprising a comb with beveledteeth tapering in Width from `the back of they comb toward their ends, the

edgesl of said teeth ting edge. y

7. A device for treating hair comprising a comb with beveled teeth tapering in Width from the back of the comb toward their ends, the edges of said teeth being sharpened to a cutting edge and the space between said edges diminishing to form a grooveA no Wider than a human hair.

being sharpenedV to a cut- FRANQOIS REN .MARCEL 

